Breast mass found on mammogram but not ultrasound

[Kassia]

I have extremely dense breasts and frequently get callbacks after my screening mammogram for more imaging.  This time they saw a mass at the screening mammogram, but from the description it looked like it was just a cyst and nothing to be concerned about.  I went for the ultrasound today and they couldn't find the mass that was seen on the mammogram (after exclaiming how dense my breasts are) and said I need to come back in six months for another mammogram.  

I'm just wondering if this has happened to anyone else where the mass was seen on mammogram, but not ultrasound.  I'm not concerned, just irritated about all of this imaging for what is almost certainly nothing.  I know they have to order the imaging to be safe, but it's expensive ! 

 

 

[Katy]

My aunt (the only one on that side who’s never had breast cancer) has had to go in for imaging like that every six months. She has a history of dense, painful breasts. Every time they’ve done a biopsy it was just a cyst. Cysts can come & go pretty rapidly I guess. She stopped complaining about cysts after menopause but given family history still gets frequent imaging. 

You always have the option to delay and go against medical advice. But if you do that and they eventually find something, will you be able to shrug it off? Or will you always regret not getting imaging sooner? 

[Kassia]

1 hour ago, Katy said:

My aunt (the only one on that side who’s never had breast cancer) has had to go in for imaging like that every six months. She has a history of dense, painful breasts. Every time they’ve done a biopsy it was just a cyst. Cysts can come & go pretty rapidly I guess. She stopped complaining about cysts after menopause but given family history still gets frequent imaging. 

You always have the option to delay and go against medical advice. But if you do that and they eventually find something, will you be able to shrug it off? Or will you always regret not getting imaging sooner? 

I'll go...I'm just frustrated about spending so much on imaging all the time.  Last year, I had 3 MRIs, 1 CT scan, several x-rays, plus a diagnostic mammogram and u/s.  

I'm just wondering how common it is to see a mass on mammogram, but nothing on ultrasound.  

[MEmama]

Sending extra ❤️ and ((hugs)) @Kassia. I know how hard this stuff is 😞 

I for one am glad they are being cautious!

[Katy]

29 minutes ago, Kassia said:

I'll go...I'm just frustrated about spending so much on imaging all the time.  Last year, I had 3 MRIs, 1 CT scan, several x-rays, plus a diagnostic mammogram and u/s.  

I'm just wondering how common it is to see a mass on mammogram, but nothing on ultrasound.  

I never worked in that area of nursing so I’m sorry to say I don’t know. But I know it happened to my aunt at least twice. I don’t know how far apart the imaging was though- no clue if it was hours or weeks. I would call but someone else in the family just got diagnosed with stage 4 cancer so I don’t think it’s a great time to call & ask a lot of questions. 

[Kassia]

@KatyI'm sorry about your family member's diagnosis. That's awful.  My situation isn't important at all.  

 

[Pawz4me]

Hugs, Kassia. I know you two have had a lot to deal with lately. I tend to think it was a cyst, but that's just a guess.

[Kassia]

3 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

Hugs, Kassia. I know you two have had a lot to deal with lately. I tend to think it was a cyst, but that's just a guess.

Oh, I'm 99.9% sure it's just a cyst.  I'm not concerned about it at all.  I just didn't know if it's common for something to be seen on mammogram but not at all on u/s.  

ETA - and, yes, I'm much more concerned about DH who actually has a diagnosis and other issues that I'm having.  

Edited March 28 by Kassia

[TexasProud]

Yes, just a couple of months ago.  Mine was very, very small and very deep. They said before they started that they didn't know if they would be able to see it on the U/S.  They couldn't.  They probably would have just waited 6 months, but with my family history they did a biopsy.  it was nothing.

But I am on a schedule that I do both a mammogram and A/s and then six months later I do a breast MRI, then six months later mammogram and A/S.  I guess for the rest of my life or until they finally find cancer. 

edited to add, that is my schedule.  Accidentally put not. 

Edited March 28 by TexasProud

[Melissa in Australia]

Sending positive thoughts 

[J-rap]

I have very dense breasts too, and have a mammogram plus a breast MRI every year, at least.  If something suspicious is seen on the mammogram, they do an ultrasound next.  The last time that happened (maybe 4 years ago), they were able to see on the ultrasound that what was seen on the mammogram was nothing, or at least nothing suspicious.  I can't remember if they said it was nothing at all, or just old scar tissue from a past cyst, or what.  But, this is a place that specializes in women with dense breasts and a family history of breast cancer, and I trust them.  I've been seeing them for 20 years now!   But yeah, sorry about the expense.  Even though we've always had good insurance, preventative breast MRI's (even for someone considered at risk for breast cancer) have never been covered, and I've always felt badly to have to spend up to $2,000/year for that, esp. when our kids were young and money was much tighter.

I think you could probably contact your doctor though and ask her that question.  She'll probably say something such as sometimes mammograms pick up shadows but we can see on an ultrasound that it's really nothing.  Or, it was a likely a cyst that's not there anymore.  But just hearing her explanation would be helpful!

Edited March 29 by J-rap